Folding machine



. 1932- I w. w. DAVIDSON 1,843,763

FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 1, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l' 1 Jizvezzfaf 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 2, 1932. w. w. DAVIDSON FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 1. 1951 W V i n i I I I n n I Fgb. 2, 1932.

w. w. DAVIDSON FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 1. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 2, 1932 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE WILLI AM WARD DAVIDSON, F EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO DAVIDSON MANU- FAC'J IURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN F'oLDING MACDIINE Application filed May 1,

i This invention relates to folding machines designed and adapted for holding sheets of "paper and the like, and has particular reference to such machines, in which folding 1s effected by means of what are known to the 4 trade as buckle chutes mounted in assoclatlon with suitable feeding and folding rollers;

A primary object of the inventlon 1s to pro-,

vide folding mechanism of the general type r with the surface of the roller and will form guides whichwill operate to discharge sheets,

from said folding mechanism or unit in the same condition as they are delivered thereto, that is, without receiving a fold there from.

A further object of the invention is to pro 'vide improved means for accurately ad usting the width of" the spaces between the rollers of the folding mechanism to ad a t 1t for op' erating on sheets of different the esses, and for securing said rollers inadjusted positions.. I

To effect the objects thereof, a folding mechanism embodying my invention and im-. provements comprises the various features,

struction hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is fully illustrated,

Figure 1 is a side view of a folding mechanism or unit embodying my invention and improvements. I

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on a somewhat enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, the mechanism being shown in operative relation to effect folding of sheets delivered thereto.

igure 4 is a View substantially similar to Figure 3,'butshowing the mechanism adjusttailed view.

feeding and folding rollers of the mechacombinations of features and details of con- I struction and operation of such mechanisms buckle chute '1931. Serial No. 534,297.

ed to close the buckle chute and'to discharge sheets delivered to said mechanism without receiving a fold.

Figure 5 is a somewhat enlarged bottom plan view of the buckle chute substantially from the position 5-5, Figure 3. I

Figure 6 is a sectional view substantially on the line 66 of Figure 8.

" Figure 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, de-

Figure 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary View substantially from the position 88, Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a sectional view substantially on the line 9-9 of Figure 8'; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary, sectional, plan view on the line 10-10 of Figure 8. I

Describing the invention with reference to the drawings, Adesignates as a whole, a folding mechanism orunit of the buckle chute type, embodying my invention and improvements, shown as operatively mounted on the frame a of a folding machine of which it forms a part. 7

Described, generally, 1, 2 and 3 are the sheet nism or unit A, and B designates the buckle chute thereof, as a whole.

As regards their usual features and excepting as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out, the construction, manner of mounting and also the operation of said folding mechanism or unit and of theconstituent parts thereof, are old; and well known and will be clearly understood and can readily be supplied by mechanics familiar with the confrom an examination of the drawings, without a description thereof in detail.

In the drawings, 'b designates a sheet of paper or the like on which the mechanism A is operating.

In accordance with usual practice, the

buckle chute B is provided with stops 4 for the sheet of paper I) or the like, said stops being secured to a relatively thin metal bar 5, which is slidably fitted to a's'pace 6 formed V between the top and bottom plates 7 and 8 of said'buckle chute.v Said stopse are positioned in slots 9 formed in the plates 7 and 8 so as to be adjustable towards and from the roller 2, and are adapted to be secured in ad justed positions therein b means provided for the purpose, presently escribed.

- g In accordance with my invention, I attain the objctthereof as it relates to preventing sheets 6 delivered to said folding unit, from gassing into the space 6 in the buckle chute and also, as it relates to guiding said sheets through the folding mechanism without being folded, inthe following manner vThe slots 9, inwhich the stops 4 are 'positioned, are extended at their ends adjacent the roller 2 so that they will be open, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, and the sides of said stops contemplated limit oftheir advancement towards the same, as clearly shown in Figure 4: of-the drawings, the curved faces of said stops being so proportioned that they will extend slightly above a sheet 6 deliveredto the rollers=1 and 2, whereby the advancing edge of said sheet will strike the curved surfaces 10 of said sto and be guided thereby between the rollers and 3 and thus dischar e from the foldin mechanism or unit A wit out being folde In the preferable construction shown, the

bar .5 which carries the stops 4 is adapted to be adjusted and secured in different adjusted positions by means as follows :Rotatably mounted in lugs' 11 adjacent opposite sidesof the main frame of the buckle chute B are screws 13 and securedto the opposite ends of the bar 5, preferably in such manner as to permit limited play thereof endwise of said bar, are blocks 14 pivoted between their ends.

- at 15 to the undersides ofwhich, respectively,

are bars 16, formed at the opposite endsof each of whlch are segmental nuts 17 and 18,

h the threads of said nuts and of the screws 13 being of the same pitch. and the bars 16 being mounted in such position that pivotal move-.

ment of saidbars 16 in o positedirection will effect engagement and engagement of iaid segmental nuts with and from the screws 3, said segmental nuts being maintained yieldingly in engagement with thescrews 13 by means of compression springs 19, the' ends of which are confined in holes or recesses Q formed-in the blocks 14 and in opposed parts of the pivoted arms 16.

The arms 16 are adapted to be turned against the force of the springs 19 applied thereto by means of finger grips 20 and 21.

' As shown, the blocks 14 are mounted on the ends of the bar 5 in the following manner For convenienee in operation, the ends of said formed in the ends of said ofi'set portions are is limited by the projection ends 24 of the bar desired play or end-iw 5 at corresponding sides of the slots23,which I i are bent slightly out of line with the -main portion of said bar 5, thus causing 'them to bind in the grooves in the blocks 14:, which the edges of the slots 23 engage. I

When it is desiredcto effect any considerv able adjustment of the stops 4, this can quickly and conveniently be done by grasping the finger grips 20 an gether against the force of the springs 19, thus turning the bars 16 pivotally to disengage the nuts 17 and 18 from the screws 13, and re leasing the bar 5 and permitting it to 'be moved manually either towards or from-the roller 2. When'the bar 5 is in position, cor responding approximatelyto a contemplated adjustment of the stops 4,- the finger grips 20 and 21 are released, thus permitting re-engagement of the nuts 17 and 18 with the screws 13, final, accurate adjustment of said stops being eflected by means of thescrews 13 l In accordance with my invention, each of said screws is adapted to be turned separately 21 and presslng them toto effect adjustment of opposite ends '-of the I bar 5 and is held frictionally in position corresponding to a desired adjustment, by means as follows, see particularly Figure 7 Threaded to the ends of the screws 13 which roject above the lugs 11 of the buckle chute ame are thumb nuts 25, the body portions of which comprise reduced'portions 26 fitted to turn freel in holes formed in said lugs 11. The reduced portions 26 of said-thumb nuts are longer than the thicknessof the lugs 11" so that they will project through and below said nuts and threaded to the screws 13 below the lugs 11 are lock nuts 27adapted to bear thumb nuts 25 and which react between the lock nuts 27 and the undersides of the lugs 11, the relation being such that when the lock nuts 27 are turned into firm engagement with the projecting lower ends of the thumb nuts ished washers 28 will be under desired 25,the tension..

In accordance with attain the objectthereof .as it relates to acmy invention, also, I'

curately adjusting the rollers 1 and 3rela tive to the roller 2 and forsecuring said rollers in adjusted position, by means as follows, see

particularly Figs. 8 to 10 :--The roller 2 is.

bar. 5 are offset, as shown at 22, Figure'5, and mounted in a. bearing formed directly. in the 3 are rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 29 respectively fitted to slots formed in the frame a, so as to be adjustable therein towards and from the roller 2, said bearing blocks being confined in their respective slots by flanges formed thereon, which embrace the frame a at opposite sides of said slots, in a usual manner.

The bearing blocks 29'are maintained yieldingly at the limit of their advancement towards the roller 2, corresponding to desired spacing of the rollers 1 and 3 relative to the roller 2, by springs 31 inserted between said bearing blocks and lugs 32 formed on the frame a, advancement of said bearing block being limited and retraction thereof against the force of the springs 31 being effected by screws 33 whichhave threaded engagement with holes in-the bearing blocks 29, as shown, secured to the outer ends of which are heads 3 f comprisingbody portions 35 adapted to bear on the lugs 32, handles 36 for turning said screws and disks 37 provided in their perimeters with teeth adapted for engagement by spring locking pawls 38. The springs 31 surround the screws 33 as guides and the spring pawls 38 are supported in position by brackets 39, which, as-shown, are formed integral therewith and are secured to the frame a adjacent the lugs 32 by screws 40.

The threads of the screws 33 are of such fine pitch and the disks 37 of such large diameter and the teeth thereof of such small pitch that turning movement of said screws corresponding to the distance between adja- "cent teeth will effect a very fine adjustment of the rollers 1 and 3relative to the roller 2,

say .001 of an inch. This relation can, of

course, be varied as desired.

I claim:

1. In folding mechanism, the combination of driven rollers, including spaced rollers and an intermediate roller co-operating with both of said spaced rollers, a buckle chute provided with slots which cut through the lower edge thereof, stops adjustably mounted in said slots with capacity for adjustment into close proximity to the intermediate roller thereby-rendering the buckle chute inoperative, and means for adjusting said stops, the sides of said stops proximate'said roller forming guides arranged for delivering sheets without folding them from a pair of receiving rollers directly to a pair of discharge rollers, said pairs of.rollers, respectively, including different spaced rollers and the intermediate roller, which is common to both.

2. Folding mechanism as specified in claim 1, in which the gluide faces of the buckle chute stops are curve 3. Folding mechanism as specified 1n clalm 1, in which the guide faces of the buckle chute stops are substantially concentric with the surface of the intermediate roller when said stops are in their positions of extreme contemplated advancement.

4. Folding, mechanism as specified in'claim 1, in which the spaced rollers are mounted with capacity for adjustment towards and from the intermediate roller and which comprises means for separately effecting such ad,- justments and for yieldingly locking said adjustable rollers in position. a

5. Folding mechanism as specified in claim 1, in which the spaced rollers are rotatably mounted in bearing blocks fitted to slots in. the frame of the mechanism and are adjusts able therein towards and from the intermediate roller, and which comprises means for separately efi'ectin such adjustments and for yieldingly locking said bearing blocks in adjusted positions.

6. Folding mechanism as specified in claim 1, in which the spaced rollers are rotatably mounted in bearing blocks fitted to slots in h I the frame of the mechanism and are adjustable therein towards and from the intermediate roller, and which comprises means for separately effecting such adjustments and for yildingly locking said bearing blocks in adjusted positions, consisting of screws having threaded engagement with holes-formed in said bearing blocks, shoulders on which bear against rigid partspof the frame of the mechanism, springs applied to said bearing blocks in opposition to the action of said screws, disks secured to said screws provided with notches in their peripheries, and spring pawls having self-releasing teeth supported on the frame of the mechanism in position to engage the notches in said disks.

7. Folding mechanism as specified in claim 1, in which the means for supporting and adjusting the buckle chute stops and for securing said stops in adjusted positions comprises screws rotatably mounted at opposite sides of the buckle chute frame, nuts threaded to said screws the lower ends of which are shouldered and fitted to turn in bearings in fixed frame members and are proportioned to project through their bearings, lock nuts' threaded to said screws below said fixed frame members arranged to lock said nuts to the screws to which they are threaded, and friction washers inserted between said lock nuts an the adj acent sides of said fixed frame mem ers. Y

8. Folding mechanism as specified in claim 1, in which the means for supporting and adjusting the buckle chute stops and for locking them in adjusted positions comprises screws rotatably mounted in bearings at opposite sides of the buckle chute frame, a bar slidably supported on the buckle chute frame with capacity for adjustment towards and from the intermediate folding roller, arms pivoted between their ends at opposite ends of said stop supporting bar so as to be movable therewith, segmental nuts on opposite ends of said pivoted arms arranged to engage the screws mounted at correspondin sides of the buckle chute, springs applie to said arms for maintaining said se ental nuts yieldingly in engagement with the screws with which they are associated, and manual means. for turning-said arms to disengage said nuts from said screws and for manipulating said stop supporting bar.

In witness that I claim the fore oing as y invention, I afiix my signature't is 18th day ofA ril, 1931. a 215 11W LIAM WARD DAVIDSON.

as I 

